Saying No to the Negative
I've had a slightly better week with my anxiety and stress levels. No, the week hasn't been perfect. Yes, even as I sit here I'm still feeling anxious (but that mostly has to do with the fact that in just a few minutes I need to wake up my kids and officially start my trek through the wilds of Sunday). But I have remembered more often to stop and take deep breaths when my chest gets tight. I've made my to-do lists every day so that I put what I need to get down onto paper and quit having it run in circles in my mind constantly (that really seems to up my anxiety because then I'm always thinking of how much I have to do-- so I don't forget anything-- but I end up just feeling overwhelmed). I've tried to make sure I get enough rest. This means that I usually end up taking a nap mid-day instead of getting something else crossed off my list, but since my nights are inevitably too short on this new schedule, I have to get the rest sometime. When I'm not so tired I cope better.
BUT.
I've noticed that one big contributor to my constant stress issues is the constant negativity and drama that surrounds me, mostly in the digital world. I don't like controversy, confrontations, backbiting, etc. They make my stress level skyrocket. Yet I can't seem to stay away either. I read blogs and article comments where I know there is going to be bickering and infuriating remarks about topics that I hold dear to my heart. I check Facebook regularly, only to get inundated with politics, whining, accusations, depressing news, and personal drama that I really don't need to know about. Sometimes it's very important information. Politics, for example, is something that I believe I need to be informed about if I am going to be a good voter and citizen. But it's so negative so often-- and there is so little I can do about any of it-- that it just increases my anxiety exponentially. Church can be the same way. I'm human, and I'm a woman, so I'm guilty of it too, but so often we sisters stand around and complain-- about our husbands, our kids, our neighbors, other women who drive us nuts. I get that sometimes we need to vent (heck, it's what I'm doing right now), but when I am surrounded by it, I never feel at peace.
Peace amid turmoil. That's my goal. I don't want to be an emotionless jellyfish who never experiences anything. I also recognize that in this mortal life I am going to experience both bad and good (or how would I know what the good was in the first place?) But now the goal is to decrease the amount of bad emotions driving up my anxiety and increase the number of positive influences in my life.
First resolution: I've said I would quit reading comments on articles and blogs before, but this time I'm getting serious about it. I'm making a sticker chart, like I do for the kids. :) We'll see if it works. I'm not sure what to do about Facebook. Sometimes the comments on a post are terrible, but sometimes I need to read them to understand what's going on in someone's situation. Maybe if I limit that comment-reading to only very specific personal posts where I know I need further info.
Here goes. Hoping for a much improved week!
BUT.
I've noticed that one big contributor to my constant stress issues is the constant negativity and drama that surrounds me, mostly in the digital world. I don't like controversy, confrontations, backbiting, etc. They make my stress level skyrocket. Yet I can't seem to stay away either. I read blogs and article comments where I know there is going to be bickering and infuriating remarks about topics that I hold dear to my heart. I check Facebook regularly, only to get inundated with politics, whining, accusations, depressing news, and personal drama that I really don't need to know about. Sometimes it's very important information. Politics, for example, is something that I believe I need to be informed about if I am going to be a good voter and citizen. But it's so negative so often-- and there is so little I can do about any of it-- that it just increases my anxiety exponentially. Church can be the same way. I'm human, and I'm a woman, so I'm guilty of it too, but so often we sisters stand around and complain-- about our husbands, our kids, our neighbors, other women who drive us nuts. I get that sometimes we need to vent (heck, it's what I'm doing right now), but when I am surrounded by it, I never feel at peace.
Peace amid turmoil. That's my goal. I don't want to be an emotionless jellyfish who never experiences anything. I also recognize that in this mortal life I am going to experience both bad and good (or how would I know what the good was in the first place?) But now the goal is to decrease the amount of bad emotions driving up my anxiety and increase the number of positive influences in my life.
First resolution: I've said I would quit reading comments on articles and blogs before, but this time I'm getting serious about it. I'm making a sticker chart, like I do for the kids. :) We'll see if it works. I'm not sure what to do about Facebook. Sometimes the comments on a post are terrible, but sometimes I need to read them to understand what's going on in someone's situation. Maybe if I limit that comment-reading to only very specific personal posts where I know I need further info.
Here goes. Hoping for a much improved week!
Comments